Talk:Heater/@comment-172.11.217.120-20141128042426
I haven't done a proper study of fuel consumption in heaters yet, but a little bit of paying attention showed some interesting things. When the temp was 18, I tossed one fuel into a heater. The temp went up to 23, and stayed there until the fuel was used up, which took about 6.5 hours. Fuel was used faster when it was cold outside than when it was warm outside (makes sense, the heater isn't producing as much heat when it is warm outside). After the cold days passed and the temperature came back up, I stopped putting fuel in the heaters. I eventually noticed that the amount of fuel was holding steady for a long time. When it had no fuel left, I added another. The temp went up 1 degree and for the rest of that day and all of the next there was still 1 fuel in the heater. It wasn't until sometime on the following day, 2 days after I'd put the fuel in, that it dropped to none left. It looks like fuel consumption is measured in degree-hours, using the temperature change from 0 fuel to 1 fuel as the baseline for number of degrees. So assume for a moment that a simple heater gets 32 degree-hours of warmth from one fuel (no doubt the number is wrong, but go with it for now), and that the 5 degree change I got was constant through the whole time (no way to tell if the base temperature has changed but left the heated temperature the same). 32 degree-hours divided by 5 degrees is 6.4 hours, or about the 6.5 hours I actually got. Further assume that an improved heater gets 48 degree-hours of warmth per fuel, and a one-degree change would last 48 hours, or 2 days, which is approximately what I saw. I haven't checked to see if overnight hours count for fuel consumption, but clicking on end day had an immediate effect on fuel levels. I also haven't checked to see if that effect accounts for the overnight hours. I don't claim the degree-hour numbers are accurate. But I think I'm on to something with the concept. Note that adding more fuel to a heater has diminishing returns. If the first fuel raises temperature by 5 degrees, the second fuel will raise it less, and the third less than that. I haven't been watching closely enough to be certain, but I haven't yet noticed any temp change when going from 5 fuel to 6 in a heater. Another thing I haven't confirmed, I have the impression that fuel added to a second heater isn't quite as effective as it is in the first heater (but still burns up as fast). Still better to put the first fuel into a second heater than go from 5 to 6 in the first heater. Real testing is required to figure out the numbers, and without knowing the outside temperature there is still going to be some uncertainty.